Fugitive
by CohenTheKitty
Summary: In the land of opportunity, a young Hispanic named Angel has come to hide out from his dark past. PreRent through Rent, a little angsty but some CollinsAngel fluff. Please review!
1. Prologue

_Fugitive_

_Prologue_

_Lullaby_

They were barely two weeks into the ground, two cold, wet mounds in the middle of a summer rainstorm. He walked away once the lily had fell between them. There was nothing for him here now. Everything he loved was dead, and now he was in danger. And so was she. He walked the filthy streets back home and came into the door. This was so wrong, so unfair. He was barely 17. She wasn't even two. The woman was there to take her and so he went over to the straw mattress on the floor.

It was so hot in here, her little mocha cheeks were perspiring lightly as she slept peacefully, always such a sound sleeper. He bent and scooped her carefully, slowly so as not to stir her and sat gazing at her face for a moment. Such a beautiful little face, so much like Mami's. He kissed one damp, soft cheek and turned to the woman, murmured quietly to her to take the baby to Rio de Janeiro and live in secrecy. She was quiet and gave only a nod of understanding. He watched them until they were well over the hill beyond his sight.

The next morning he waited quietly for a boat to start loading cargo and scurried into the hull to hide in between some wooden crates. He listened to the working men talk, but could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation as they heaved. No part of it had to do with where this boat was heading. He could only hope . . .

The night had been sleepless with anxiety and now that night was catching up with him. He leant onto one of the crates that he was sandwiched between and fell asleep. His eyes slid open when he felt someone slapping at his shoulder and he jumped up, hurried back from him.

"_Por favor! Lo siento, lo siento!"_

"_Silencio_!" The man muttered, obviously a crewman. He thrust a bowel of rice into the younger man's grasp and requested him to eat. The younger obliged and returned the dish. He was visited after another nap with more rice, and then three times a day the next day. The next morning after that he was not visited with food, and just as his stomach was starting to growl, the cargo hatch shot open and the man who had fed him helped him out and pointed him in the right direction away from the pier.

"_Comprende amigo?_?"

"_Si, gracias_." The young man said, hurrying off the pier, and just as he was skimming the streets, a tall Spanish man grabbed him and asked him to slow down, told him he would teach him English and take him where he would find a better job than anywhere here, in what he kept calling New England. New York City. He'd heard the name before.

One year later

"I think that you will do fine now, yes, yes you will. Just remember, 'I' before 'E' except after 'C', all right? OK? Are you even listening to me, amigo? Or is your head up in the clouds as usual?" A light slap to the shoulder brought the Puerto Rican back to reality.

"What? Oh, si. I mean, yeah. I'll be fine, and I'll remember."

The older Cuban twirled in his huge office chair and tilted his head, studied the man closely. "Angel? You're safe, you know that right? Si, si, you're safe. Stop worrying about them, they won't find you. How is your name pronounced in this country?"

"Ayn-jell. I was thinking of what might be the best way to hide out."

Luca sighed and shook his head, lifted his booted feet to rest them on the table and slid his palms behind his head as he sat more steadily in the chair. "Oh and what might that be? You gonna live in the bell tower of a church?"

Angel gave him a dissatisfied look and shook his head. "Very funny, compadre. No, I'm serious. I was thinking about posing as a. . . what is that in English hold on. Oh, a drag queen." He said with an affirmative nod.

Luca stared at him blankly and then burst into hearty, loud laughs. He was bent over in the chair now, tears streaming down his face, dark eyes raising. "That was a good one, Angel. Really, what are you gonna do?"

"I was serious, Luca." He said, slightly disheartened. "No one would recognize me if I looked like a woman. Only I don't know where to begin, or how you get the clothes, learn to do the makeup. I need you to help me."

Luca looked slightly disgusted, moreover he was annoyed by the work it would take but he nodded. "I'll send you to this guy, he's really good at the disguising art. But you can't give any names or anything. It's just gotta be you."

He nodded and swallowed, waited as Luca jotted down a name. The pride his father had left him was gone.

The next morning he walked down the filthy dark streets of New York to the address he'd been given and knocked. The door opened and he was yanked in with a surprised yelp. He stumbled to stay standing and looked around the 'workshop' this man owned and then turned to him. The man was studying him carefully.

"What?"

"Trying to come up with your sizes, turn." He said, wiggling his finger around. Angel did so and he started pulling garments out of drawers and closets all over. He bagged them and then pulled Angel to sit on a stool. He walked to where there were dozens of mannequin heads that modeled wigs. He began taking some down and testing them on Angel's head.

He stopped at one point and nodded. "This one is best." He said, Angel reached to touch the ends of the dark haired wig. It was odd for him, he swallowed hard. The man prepared a few other wigs. "Should you ever feel festive." He said, then set that all aside.

"Women have a saying in America," he said, pulling a pair of tweezers from his table. "I think it was french, 'One must suffer for beauty'. Keep that in mind." He said, "And for God's sakes remember to hold still."

An hour later after a few hundred yelps and jumps, his eyebrows were no longer masculinely bushy, but neatly plucked into two curvy lines on his brow. He was given the tweezers to take. The man suddenly reached out and touched his ears. "Pierced? Good, I don't have to do it then." He said, removing the small rings. He replaced them with some bigger hoops and gave him a few different pairs of earrings.

"Now you just have to learn to apply cosmetics."

_Los cosmeticos?_

"Um. All right."

The man got some makeup together and placed it in front of Angel. "Now, go wash your face, you always wash your face first." Angel did and then sat again, the man took some foundation and started blending it. "You must make sure this is not obvious on your face, it should just make you look more even textured. No streaks or anything, when you buy more, make sure it's this color."

Angel nodded and did the half f his face he was instructed to so as to get used to it and be good at it. He did well. He was then taught to line his eyes, apply blush, eyeshadow and mascara. Then he was given a compact. 'For if your skin starts looking shiny.'

An hour later Angel stumbled out with all his stuff, waving another thanks to the man. He made a last trip to Luca's and then went to what he was now calling home. A molding apartment on Avenue B, owned by some guy. Rent was tough to make so Luca was helping him and one day that guy came by to tell him he needn't pay rent since he was having so much trouble making it.

That was only the beginning.


	2. Chapter 1

_Fugitive_

_Chapter One_

_17 Years Later_

A coin fell onto the makeshift drum in front of a 34 year old NYC celebrity, and he reached to grab it and pocket it, smiled up at the attractive woman who had tossed it to him. "Merry Christmas!" He took a moment to check out her ass before looking back down at his white pickle-tub and start to drum on it again. Life was pretty ok, really. Everyone around knew him, and other than his new landlord being a complete dick, his life was going well.

He had not been found.

17 years of plucking, washing, primping etcetera had proven fruitful and tonight, Christmas Eve, he was giving himself a rare treat. He was dressed as a man in jeans and a red jacket, his favorite jacket. He still used the feminine lilt to his voice, true, but that was necessary. Angel had learned much in the past nearly two decades in hiding. _Il faut souffrir pour être belle._ It is necessary to suffer to be beautiful.

He felt beautiful. He'd come to cope with the fact that he was a part of a steadily rising statistic. It had happened one year after his transformation, after he had transcended his gender. He'd been coming home from packing fish, smelling, wearing a knee-length regulation khaki skirt and he'd been grabbed in the alley three blocks from his home. The creep beat and raped him that night, and six months later, in what was meant to be a precaution, the test results came back positive.

He shook his head and paused, he thought he'd heard something. Silence. He continued, there it was again. He grabbed his bag and slung it over a shoulder, picked the rub up and went into the alley right there. "Hello?" Coughing, it was coughing. Miserable, hacking coughing. He hurried over to the dark figure and set the drum down.

"You ok honey?"

"I'm afraid so."

"They get any money?"

"No. Had none to get." The man raised his gaze to Angel, he was good looking, black. Around his age. "But they purloined my coat, well you missed a sleeve! I'm fine." He said gently to Angel's trying to clean blood from his face.

Angel knelt before him. "Hell it's Christmas Eve! I'm Angel."

The man pulled the sunglasses from his face. "An angel indeed. An angel of the first degree. Friends call me Collins, Tom Collins." He paused and looked up the alley to where he'd come from. "Nice tree."

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Angel said, standing and grabbing his stuff again.

"But, my friends are waiting. . . ."

"I'm flush." Angel looked into his sweet face and smiled. "You're cute when you blush. The more the merrier, but I do not take no."

He pulled Collins gently to where his building was and couldn't stop thinking. _This is sick, this is a GUY this is only a disguise Angel, what are you doing? Take him to his friends place! _He looked at Collins when the taller man was not looking. _Aw hell, take him home and rock his socks off and see if you like it that way!_

"I sort of have to hurry," He said gently. "I have a Life Support meeting to go to."

Collins looked to him as Angel let him in, studying him closely under a well trained eye."Life Support?"

"Yeah." Angel said softly. "It's for people with AIDS. People like me." He said gently, seeing his first gay romp floating down the tubes at that confession. Oh well. It was too good to be true.

That was what he was thinking at least until Collins hand reached to squeeze his ass suddenly, Angel jumped and his eyes widened as he looked up at Collins. "Me too."

Tom Collins eyes slid open early the next morning. He looked to his right as he stretched in bed, frowned slightly when he didn't see anyone laying there. Where was that gorgeous Hispanic he'd spent the entire night with? Hmmm, well he couldn't be gone as this WAS his house, so where was he indeed.

"Good mooooorning!" Collins smiled at the voice and turned to look at the opposite side of the room, nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the Hispanic girl in the Santa suit there, pulled the covers up over his abdomen slightly. Busted by the girlfriend. "Um, hi. Yeah sorry, I'll be out. . ."

A giggle, Collins raised an eyebrow when the girl came closer and kissed his nose. "It's me, silly!"

His jaw hit the floor. "Y-y-y-y-you? Oh my. . . Wow. Um, I mean, wow. I don't usually go for chicks but . . you look amazing."

Angel giggled again and handed Collins his clothes. "I got up early to wash them so they don't smell and aren't all blood stained when we go see your friends." He paused after a moment, smiled falling slightly. "Erm, do you think . .they'll like me? Being how I am I mean?"

"It doesn't matter." Collins said softly, leaning to kiss her warmly in the drafty room. "Because what matters is what I think of you and I think you are beautiful and sweet and talented. . ."

"Tommy, stop!" She said with another girlish giggle, jumping up and covering her cheeks with her hands. "You're making me blush!"

Angel pulled him from bed and helped him dress in a less than helpful way, then took him by the hand. "I'm gonna drum some and see if I can make some real money. You can hang out here and watch TV so you don't freeze!"

Collins shook his head and pulled her body flush to his. "No. I want to go with you. I wanna spend the whole day with you."

The happy smile on Angel's face vanished only slightly, in surprise. "You do?" A nod, she was stunned. No one had ever actually wanted to spend time with him when they were together. His relationships had of course been few and always with women but it stunned him. She smiled again and stood on tiptoe to kiss him, the emotion welling in her heart seeping into that kiss.

She led him out to the tree on the corner, the sole tree on that street and she began to play when suddenly a limo pulled up. The window rolled down and an older woman made herself known to Angel.

"Darling, be a dear. . ."

More?


	3. Chapter 2

_Fugitive_

_Chapter Two_

_Don't Speak_

* * *

"I really feel, that I'm losing my best friend. I can't believe this could be the end. It looks as though you're letting go, and if it's real well I don't want to know." -No Doubt, 'Don't Speak'.

Angel pulled a laughing Collins into the supermarket, her own laughter bubbling from her as she slowed to a halt. He turned to slide his arms around her, smiling down at her, bending briefly to kiss her lips softly. "I still can't believe she paid you a thousand dollars!"

Angel smiled softly and reached to slide her palms across Collins prickly face. "Me neither. But I'm glad she did because I don't wanna go to your friends' empty handed." She moved to walk down the aisles with a basket in one hand, Collins large dark hand clutched tightly in her other. They picked up some bologna, cheese and vodka before checking out and heading back to Avenue B.

Outside the loft door Collins smiled when he heard a woman's voice through the metal. "Mrs Cohen, sounds like the Jew's screening his calls." He moved to open the door but Angel grabbed his shoulder and he turned to gaze at her.

"I need a minute to get my nerve together," She said softly. "Hey I have an idea, let's really make this memorable. You go in and say hi and stuff and when I come up, bring me in."

"Ang, it's cold in this hall." He said softly, reaching to cup her sweet little face. "Are you sure you wanna stand out here?"

"Yeah, I mean I wanna make a good impression, might as well make it last." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him softly. "Really Tommy."

He nodded and pressed his ear to the door, they were talking. He kissed Angel softly once more and went in with her tub full off goodies. She exhaled deeply and pulled her compact out, gazed into her eyes. This was unreal, this man was unreal and the fact that a man was doing this to her was beyond her. Him, _stop that hermano. You're a man, this is only to hide out. Oh stop kidding yourself, this is comfortable for you and you love this man_.

_I . . . love a man? Un hombre?_

He moved to the door and listened. Yadda yadda yadda, MIT. Splurging, bingo. She posed herself and seconds later the door slid open and she took a few steps in, money in hand and gave a dramatic twirl. She moved first to Roger. "Today for you," and handed him half the money, then she moved to Mark and did the same. "Tomorrow for me."

"You should hear her beat." Collins bragged, smiling from where he had taken a seat.

"You earned this on the street?" Mark asked with surprise.

"It was my lucky day on Avenue A. This lady in a limo hired me to kill her next-door neighbor's dog by playing." She gave a shrug and then a giggle. "And sure enough I drove it so crazy it jumped out the window." Collins perked. "Play for 'em baby!" He started to clear off a card table and so she went over with her sticks, played it and hopped onto it, then started playing a water pipe.

Upon leaping down she continued. "I met this one around the corner, just moaning and groaning on the cold concrete." She sat by him. "The nurse took him home for some Mercurochrome, then I dressed his wounds and got him back on his feet!" A leap off of a wall and a little more dancing. Roger and Mark exploded into applause and just then, the answering machine picked up on a call they'd been oblivious to. Maureen. Mark picked it up and talked to the girl as Collins brought out a joint and Angel quickly moved to be nearer to him so as to share it. They'd smoked one the night before after making love and she didn't think she could ever not share one with him now.

They were trying to convince Roger to go out, and he continued to decline.

"I uh, need to pee." Roger said dully, moving across the loft to go to the bathroom. Mark looked the Collins the moment the door closed.

"I'm not sure what to do, Coll. It's not the same Roger he was when April was alive. It's a completely different entity and I feel like I'll never see Roger again. He has no will to live, this girl Mimi wants to take him out and he's just. . .blah."

_Mimi_ . . . Stop it. He took a drag on the joint, how sad. The man had lost love. "Rog we have a meeting to go to, you should come."

"Where?" Roger asked softly, sitting down, just having come back.

"Life Support."

"On _Christmas_??" He asked, surprised, also a little. . .stuck up.

"_Some_ people don't have anywhere else to go today. You should come."

He seemed to consider it, but then. "Knock yourselves out."

Angel sighed, passing the joint to Collins, her eyes moving to Mark. "Well Mark, you're more than welcome to come, it's not just for people with AIDS, ok?"

"Ok yeah I'll be there but. First I got a protest to save."

* * *

Collins led Angel out onto the street, holding the door open to let her out, smiling back as she gave him a happy, thankful smile of her own. He shut the door behind Mark when the tiny Jew scurried off to the Space, and then moved to take Angel's hand and walk with her. They were quiet for about a city block but then he cleared his throat. "This is . . . strange. Isn't it?"

Angel lowered her eyes briefly, thoughts springing back, about how wrong this is. Angel was a man, and Angel was straight, but the thoughts were easily overcome as usual and she looked up into that warm, sweet face. "What do you mean?"

Collins changed the way their hands were combined so his fingers were threaded with Angel's. "Well I mean, we just met but I feel like I've known you for years." He wet his lips suddenly with a swift dart of his tongue. "I mean . . . I'm not even sure what I mean but I like spending time with you, I like being close to you."

Angel began to blush a little and she moved her body closer to his as they walked down the street, it was really chilly today. She guessed that was all too appropriate for Christmas day. "I like being close to you too."

"And," Without losing the slightest bit of his train of thought Collins stopped walking and turned to completely face Angel, taking both of her hands into his. "I feel like we've connected as very few people can connect, and maybe this is just years of philosophy drilled into my head but, Angel, I believe you're a rare thing that not many men such as I get to experience. I believe with every fiber of my being that you are my soul mate."

_God_, thought Angel. _Maybe I've been wrong all along. Because as new as this is to me and as wrong as my conscience tells me it is, my heart tells me this is where I belong. And that's something I've never trusted to listen to before. My heart. He makes me so . . . alive._

Tears rolled down Angel's face as these thoughts spilled through him like hot water unleashed into a tub. Collins smile faded some and he reached out two large thumbs to rub them away and to his relief Angel laughed softly as she came back to the real world, slid her arms around Collins and hugged him tightly. "Tommy, I think you're right."

Collins smiled and held her for a few moments, his fingers running through her false hair. "My heart says that I'm right Angel." He paused and then gently pried the little Hispanic off of his chest, gazed earnestly into her dark eyes. "And maybe this is crazy or too soon or maybe I'm wrong entirely, though I can't see how. But Angel I think I've fallen in love with you."

More tears, these ones were left alone. Angel smiled as she sobbed very softly and she reached to hold Collins face in her hands. "I know I'm in love with you Tom!" She murmured before kissing him passionately.

He kissed her back for a long moment, she was a breath of fresh air. A ray of hope in a time that was dark, AIDS. AIDS had for so long plagued him even though he had hidden any fear of the disease from his friends. But now he had found his life partner, the person he was meant to spend his dying days with and in all honesty, he was ready to take it head on.

They parted and Angel wiped her face of any tears that may still be there, took his hand and pulled him to the Community Center so they wouldn't be late. They sat and Angel fixed her makeup, smiling as Collins whispered in her ear about how beautiful she was. She put her things down and just as the meeting began, Mark came inside.

* * *

It was late by the time this meeting ended, and the trio walked outside cautiously. Walking at night to this day made Angel nervous. She tried not to let on to that. Collins turned to Mark after a short moment, fingers moving gingerly back and forth on Angel's hand. "So Roger hasn't been doing well at all?"

Mark shook his head. "No, and honestly, I don't think he has any will to start over. Since April died and he found out he was HIV+ he hasn't wanted anything to do with going out, especially with other girls. I don't want to watch him die, Collins. I don't think I can handle this but I think it would be worse to hear his intentions. I just don't want to hear him say 'I wanna die Mark'."

Angel frowned deeply at that and craned her neck when they reached Avenue B and heard some shouting. She saw a girl in the street, a young girl, maybe twenty and the girl was yelling up at. . .Roger. And he was yelling back. Ah, this must be Mimi. She turned slightly and Angel stopped walking entirely, which made Collins stop which made Mark stop. Neither knew _why_ Angel had stopped, but they stopped anyway. Angel looked at her, studied her, felt her heart begin to pound heavily. Could it be? The baby he'd been forced to abandon so many years ago?

Wether it was or not, she knew this girl was distraught, embarrassed, insulted, and she felt that she needed to go comfort her. She walked up to her and placed her hands gently onto her shoulders until Roger got fed up and went inside. Mimi turned and looked at her, looked her dead in the eyes for a moment and then hugged her tightly, Angel held her, trying to erase the pain. So maternal, and yet it was so right.

Mimi hurried inside after a moment and then Mark sighed and shook his head. "I'll go see what the damage is." He said softly, hugged both Collins and Angel and went in to do just that. Angel took Collins' hand again and led him home. They stayed up to talk about both their pasts, Angel ventured into his life in Puerto Rico only briefly as he wiped makeup from his face. Collins was intrigued by it though.

"Why did you come to America?"

He was silent briefly, then raised his eyes to look at Collins in his mirror, said softly. "There were people that would hurt me, people who killed my parents. You might call them the 'mafia' in those parts. I had a baby sister, I had to send her away to be safe before I left. I came here, learned English, then learned to be a drag queen."

Collins blinked a few times, tilted his head to gaze curiously at him. "So this is all just a disguise? You have no real questions about your gender?"

"I don't really know about now," he replied softly. "Now I like this way of living, now it's comfortable to make myself into a woman every day. Not so much a question of gender but a more comfortable way of living."

Collins nodded, satisfied for the evening. He pulled Angel into the bed with him, making the smaller man laugh giddily. "I swear Tom, I really have to wonder if I'm ever going to be unhappy again!"

Collins arms came around him tightly, then his lips were on his and then pressing delicate kisses along his bare throat and collar. "Mmm, not as long as we're together you won't."

Angel laid back, hands brushing lovingly across the warm skin of Collins back as he accepted his kisses and caresses. "We'll be together forever." he whispered before reaching one hand to turn out the light next to the bed.


	4. Chapter 3

_Fugitive_

_Chapter Three_

_I Am Made of You_

* * *

Collins found himself waking up to Angel, out of drag, totally asleep next to him. A smile slowly tugged up at the curves of his mouth and he turned to lay on his side and gently brush the pads of his fingers across Angel's face, paying close attention to his lips. He turned his hands to brush the knuckles across his cheeks now and when Angel's eyes began to flutter, he leant forward and pressed his mouth to the smaller man's.

This was, to say the least, a surprise wake-up for the drag queen, who smiled and leant into the kiss. His hands gently rested on Collins' bare shoulders and he found himself in a passionate embrace with the other man yet again. Some time later he turned in his lover's arms to look up into happy, dark eyes. "I love you."

Collins smiled more and nodded, kissed every tip of every finger on both of his hands. "I love you too baby." He said softly. "You're so perfect."

Angel glanced up at the clock and pouted a little, looked up at Collins again. "We have to start getting ready." He said gently, eyes locked on Collins'. He realized that their hearts were matched in beat almost perfectly. He could only smile warmly.

Collins frowned and looked at that clock, confused momentarily but he soon realized. "Ooh. Life Support." He murmured as he slipped out of bed, allowing Angel to sit up now.

"Yeah, Life Support." Angel said and with a devilish grin reached out to lay a hard smack to Collins bare ass. Collins leapt in his skins and then grinned back at Angel before going into the bathroom to clean up. Angel dressed and then went in, put some makeup on and opted to just bring his wig and wear a headband.

The moment they walked into the frigid New York air she changed her mind and put the wig on her freezing head. They reached the Community Center and Mark was already there, but no Roger. She was saddened but only briefly. She hugged Mark and sat, they gave their introductions and then one man start talking about the fear of the unknown. Will they lose their dignity? Will anybody care?

They could all relate and to her great joy, as they comforted one another Roger walked in and began to talk about April and his chilling note. Once the meeting was over they all walked out, and she was rather happy to see Collins hugging Roger on their way out.

"I am so proud of you."

"Thanks."

* * *

Collins and Angel exited the subway stop with Mark and Roger after a particularly interesting conversation about moving to Santa Fe and opening a restaurant. Mark asked for the time and cursed, looked to his friends. "I'm late for Maureen's soundcheck, I gotta go." He eyed Roger for a moment, then snagged his arm. "Here, you can come with me." He pulled him in the direction of the Space.

"Bye!" Angel called with a wave.

"See you later." Mark called back.

Angel looked to Collins, who smiled a little sheepishly. "It's cold."

Angel smiled, even though he was worried about Collins getting too cold. "C'mon." She said softly, pulled him into the direction of some street vendors. They spoke softly of their new commitment, it was almost like a commitment ceremony between just the two of them. They vowed to be their to death, and longer. They vowed to love one another.

They found a coat vendor and Angel bought him a leather duster, helped him put it on and they darted off to the end of the street before Collins stopped running and pulled Angel close to his body, the heat of him, he liked to believe, was what was keeping him warm in that moment. He slow danced with her briefly before dipping to press a loving kiss to her lips, Angel kissed him back with a bit more fervor and they parted and smiled at one another.

It was such a beautiful beginning, and it would play through Tom Collins mind many, many times over the last couple years of his existence.

For Angel Schunard it was not something to continue to think on, it was one lovely memory to be added to. Sadly, she had no idea just how few memories they would create. Not that such a thing would ever have brought her down.

_When you love someone, so deeply. They become a part of you. It's easy to succumb to any desire._

* * *

They went to the show and both Collins and Angel were harassed by cops when it went from peaceful protest to insane riot. They all made it out, and although Mark came out late they were all together. Then the maitre d' gave them a hard ass time until Angel revealed that she could pay for dinner that night, and after joining the tables and giving Benny and his 'partners' a hard time, all Angel could do was watch Mimi.

It was now, more than any time in the last two days that they'd seen each other that she recognized the shape of those cheekbones, and the roundness and color to those dark, always smiling eyes. Eyes which gave away more drug use than Angel would like for them too. She'd heard about this Mimi girl, and now, in realizing who she was, it hurt her deeply to remember those things.

_It looks like my baby sister got away fine, Mimi chica._

After dinner all of them were too drunk and stoned to talk to anyone about anything, and Collins had a raging erection from Angel having thrust up against him in their toast to sodomy. Angel was quick to pull him along the damp streets to his apartment, the clothes came off so fast and in such a colorful swoop that Angel laid there momentarily just to watch them fly from the ceiling slowly down past his sight.

The next morning, they were so sore, however, that both would be willing to bury their heads in holes, side by side in the ground. They took the day off of all contact, knowing their friends would all have hangovers as well. But bright and early the next morning Angel crept from the bed, left Collins a note and made his way, out of drag to Mimi's apartment.

She answered after a few moments, obviously tired, having been awoken by his knocking but she smiled nonetheless when she saw him. "Well hey Angel, come on in." She held the door open and went to sit, offered him a place with her.

"Want some coffee?"

"Sure sugar, you look like you could use it. I didn't mean to wake you."

She laughed and stood as she went about preparing it. "It's eight o' clock in the morning."

"I really am sorry, I'm always up by now. Well, excluding yesterday."

Mimi shuddered visibly, bringing him a cup of instant coffee. "Please, we shall not speak of yesterday morning."

They laughed together. "Anyways, what brings you here? I wasn't expecting you. Is everything. . .?"

"Mim," He set his cup aside after only a couple of sips. "What do you know about your very early years?"

"Oh." She shrugged, the subject obviously troublesome. "Well I was born in Puerto Rico and moved here with my foster family when I was five. They were New Yorkers who adopted me from Puerto Rico, I was an orphan."

His heart was pounding. "An orphan?"

"I had a brother but he left so soon after my parents died. I don't remember him at all."

"Mimi. . ."

"Oh, Àngel." She laughed softly, he hadn't heard his name pronounced that way in so many years now. Too many years. "Do you think I do not know who you are? I've known from the moment you first walked up to me and hugged me!"

And it was only instinct for him to move forward and hug her again, collapsing to a sobbing heap on the floor, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head, just grateful to suddenly feel so close to her. It had hurt him so bad to let her go but it had obviously, so obviously been for the best.

"But hermano," She said, pulling back to gaze into his loving face. "You're sick too. . ."

"Yes."

She blinked some tears away, then looked back up at him. "So mother and father, they. . ."

He frowned deeply and touched her face, the poor child, she obviously didn't know when or how she'd contracted it. "No, Mimi chica. They died because they were killed by people, not AIDS. I got it from a man who raped me once."

She looked at the ground. "What makes you think AIDS isn't a way for men to continue killing each other?"

"I never said it wasn't, sweetie. I never once said it wasn't. But there's no sense in us going about placing blames and feeling sorry. We have to make the most of this time we have, Carpe Diem, do you know what that means, Mimi?"

She shook her head.

"Seize the day." He smiled gently at her, wiped some tears from her face with the backs of his hands. "No day but today. They do actually know what they're talking about at Life Support. There's no sense in holding back when we could all be having the most beautiful lives and I intend to make do with the time I have."


End file.
